Cross for church-towers.



PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

" J. A. BLBNKE.

GR'DSS POR CHURCH TOWERS.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 16, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

A TTOHNE the eye. I

\ 27, 28, and 28, Mounted upon these rollers Improved Cross'for Church-Towers, of which mination are easily accessible.

' metallic shed 13.

-RENTA OFFIQEJ raten'eahseptember s, 190s.

` Josizfrnr iincnsfr BLENKE, or oo vmcron, KENTUCKY.

cnoss FOR CHURCH-TOWERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,601, ,dated September 8, 1903.

` application fue@ May 16, 190e.

To a/ZZ wiz/'0m it may concern: t

Be it known that LJOSEPHAUGUST BLENKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Covington, in Vthe county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relatesto a cross for use upon church-towers and analagous structures, the object being to make a cross ofsuch structure as to be readily seen from great distance and to make a ple'asantim pression upon My invention further relates toan illuminated object which can be seen for great dis-` tances and in which the lamps used for illu- Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indi, cate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the y. cross embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section taken at a right angle to the view shown in Fig. l, and Fig 3 is a horizontal section, somewhat enlarged,upon the` line 3 3 of Fig 1.

Angle-irons 1 2 3 4 are bent outwardly, as indicated at the bottoms of Figs. 1 and 2, for convenience in securing them to a church spire or tower, the upper portions of these angle -irons being parallel and forming a framework for the cross, as indicated in these figures.4 Anumber of plates 5 6 7 8 of thick glass, preferably roughened or frostened, are secured together by means of fastenings 9,v so as to form a rectangular tubular portion constituting the body proper of the cross. The ams of the cross are constructed somewhat similarlyto the plates '10 11, the arms being covered with ametallic shed 12. All places where the glass partscome in contact with the metal they are protected by means of rubber cushions 12a, thereby preventing the breakage of the glass. The extreme upper end of the body portion is covered with a Within the cross at various points are braces 14 15 16 17 18 19, which are provided with revoluble rollers 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25,26,

, constituting a third series.

of removing the same.

Serial No. 157,402. (No model.)

Y .Y1 are belts 29, 30, and 3l, disposedas indicated in-Figs. 1 and 2. Thesebelts are movable independently of each other, but are normally stationary. Mounted upon the belts are incandescent lamps 32, 33, 34, and 35, arranged in distinct groups and all fedfrom the mains 36, 37, 38, and 39. From the main 36 a ilexible cord or wire a, having a slack portion 40, leadsupward to the three lamps numbered 32, these lamps being mounted upon the mov able belt 30, constituting one of the distinct groups above mentioned. The lamps are connected serially, and from the last of the series a wire b leads downward and is connected at the bottom with the main 37, the mains 36 and 37 being of opposite sign. Somewhat similarly a wire c is connected at the bottom with the main 36 and leads upward to the top of the cross, where it is connected lwith the series of lamps numbered 35. A wire d is connected with the main 37 and constitutes" A wire e,

the return for this series of lamps. provided with a slack portion 41, is connected at the bottom with the main 36 and leads upward to the three lamps 33, these three lamps The wire 38 leads upward to the series of lamps numbered 34, and from this series the wire 39 leads downward. The' system is therefore fed by means of mains 36 and 38, which may be of any sign, andmains 37 and 39, which may be of another sign. My purpose in placing the lamps in distinct groups is to enable the current to be apportioned between them, so that the Vin- `dividual series will receive as nearly as practicable substantially an equal quantity of en.

ergy, thereby enabling the main wires 36, 37, 38,'and 39 to be energized from a single source or separate sources, as may be expedient. A glass door 42 is provided for the purpose of allowing access to the lamps for the purpose This door 42 is provided with a suitable frame 43and is hinged at 44.

My invention is used as follows: The electric lamps are energized in the manner above described and are normally stationary. If,

however, the operator desires to remove a lamp for any purpose, or if for any reason-he desires to secure access to a lamp, he ascends the tower, opens the door 42, places his hand inside of the cross, and grasps the proper ICO belt 29, 30, or 3l, as the case may be, and by pulling upon the belt causes the same to glide over the revoluble pulleys above described, and the slack portions 40 4:1 in the feed cords or wires enable the belt to move to a limited extent, so that the lamp in question can be brought down to the door and removed. As there are three belts the removal of a lamp from one of them does not affect the others.

While I show the lamps as connected in series, I do not limit myself to this particular arrangement, for obviously they may be connected in any other desired manner. Neither do I limit myself to the exact mechanical construction of the framework of the cross nor to the particular type of the movable members upon which the lamps are mounted.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure'by Letters Patentl. In a cross for church-towers, the combination of a hollow member to be illuminated, saidmember being provided with a door,ilexi ble longitudinal members mounted within said hollow member and movable relatively to said door, lamps mounted upon said flexible longitudinal members,and means for causing said lamps to glow.

2. In a cross for church-towers, the combination of a hollow member to be illuminated, said member being provided with adoor, ilexible longitudinal members mounted within said hollow member and movable relatively to said door, electric lamps mounted upon said flexible longitudinal members, and ilexible electric connections for energizing said lamps.

3. In across for church-towers, the combination of a hollowmeinber to beilluminated, electric lamps forilluminating the same,flexi ble belts for supporting said lamps, and revoluble rollers engaging said belts and free to-move for the purpose of altering the positions of said lamps relatively to said hollow member.

4. In a cross for church-towers, the combination of a hollow member to be illuminated, said member being provided with means whereby the interior thereof is rendered accessible, electric lamps for illuminating said hollow member, flexible belts for supporting said lamps, and revoluble members tion disposed adjacent to said door for facilitating access to said lamps.

6. In a cross for church-towers, the combination of a hollow member having the form of a cross and provided with a longitudinal body portion and with arms, and also provided with a door, revoluble pulleys mounted within said longitudinal body portion, movable belts mounted upon said revoluble pulleys, and disposed with said longitudinal body portion and said arms, said belts being accessible from said door, electric lamps mounted upon said` belts, and flexible electric connections for energizing said lamps.

7. In a cross for church-towers, the combination of a hollow member to be illuminated, a plurality of electric lamps for illuminating the same, said lamps being divided into distinct groups each containing substantially the same number of lamps, the lamps in each group being connected serially, supports for said lamps, said supports being movable for permitting access to said lamps, and flexible feed-wire mechanism for energizing said lamps.

8. In a cross for church-towers, the combination ot` a cross proper consisting of a body portion having arms mounted -thereon, in combination with a plurality of angle-irons connected with saidbody portion of said cross and bent outwardly at the bottom thereof for the purpose of being secured upon a churchtower.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH AUGUST BLENKE.

Witnesses:

JOHN N. RHEIN, J oHN B. LINNEMANN. 

